Written Answers Friday 27 June 2008

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of deaths from cervical cancer occurred in women aged (a) 60 and over, (b) from 30 to 59 and (c) under 30 in each year since 2001.

Nicola Sturgeon: The proportion of deaths from cervical cancer occurring in women, by age group (under 30; between 30-59; over 60) and by year (2001-07) is as follows:

  Table 1 Number of Deaths from Cancer of the Cervix by Year and by Age Group

  

 Year
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007P


 All Ages
 113
 100
 120
 102
 127
 92
 105


 Under 30
 2
 5
 0
 4
 2
 1
 2


 30-59
 48
 41
 58
 37
 52
 45
 45


 60+
 63
 54
 62
 61
 73
 46
 58



  Table 2 Percentage of Deaths from Cancer of the Cervix by Year and by Age Group

  

Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007P


All ages
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%


Under 30
2%
5%
0%
4%
2%
1%
2%


30-59
42%
41%
48%
36%
41%
49%
43%


60+
56%
54%
52%
60%
57%
50%
55%



  Source: GROS.

  Note: Figures for 2007 are provisional.

Class Sizes

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its policy in relation to class sizes for S1 and S2 English and mathematics.

Fiona Hyslop: Guidance on class sizes in S1 and S2 mathematics and English classes was issued in Circular 1/2007 on 2 April 2007. That guidance is still extant.

DNA Samples

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the findings of Professor James Fraser’s review into procedures for keeping DNA samples.

Kenny MacAskill: Professor Fraser submitted his report to me on 25 June 2008. I will publish the report together with the Scottish Government’s response as soon as I have had a chance to consider it.

General Practitioners

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many days per week on average GP surgeries have a practice nurse onsite; how many GP surgeries which formerly had practice nurses onsite have ceased to have them in the last two years, and what proportion of the NHS budget for GP surgeries is ring-fenced for employing practice nurses.

Shona Robison: The information is not recorded. It is the responsibility of GP surgeries who have a contract with a NHS board to decide the manner in which their practice is staffed to ensure patients receive the services they require. The proportion of the NHS budget for GP surgeries for the employment of practice nurses is not separately identified. GP surgeries are paid a "global sum" for the basic costs of running a practice. Again it is a matter for the GP surgery to decide what proportion of the global sum is used to pay staff.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing was first informed about the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing held discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde about the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the statement I made to the Parliament on 18 June 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when NHS Scotland was first informed about the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland was first informed about this outbreak on 21 May 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates NHS Scotland held discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde about the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The first formal discussion between Health Protection Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde about this outbreak took place on 21 May 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the procedure is for dealing with the outbreak of infection in hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: The management of outbreaks in hospitals is set out in Annex 4 of the 2003 interim guidance document Managing Incidents Presenting Actual or Potential Risks to the Public Health: Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of Incident Control Teams, which may be accessed at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/01/16243/17308.

  This document is currently under review and an updated version of Annex 4 will be issued shortly.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps should be taken and in what timescale for (a) notifying and (b) controlling the outbreak of infection in hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: The exact steps required in the control of an incident or outbreak is an issue for each local incident management team. These will vary depending on the circumstances and the organism concerned. The Chief Nursing Officer wrote to NHS Scotland in November 2007 to clarify the arrangements for reporting healthcare associated infection incidents and outbreaks.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why there was a delay in reviewing cases of clostridium difficile during the outbreak in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures were followed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in relation to the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital and when.

Nicola Sturgeon: The independent review which I announced on 18 June 2008 will examine this key issue. The review team’s report will be published by the end of July 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that all cases of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital from December 2007 to June 2008 have now been identified.

Nicola Sturgeon: Yes, I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that this represents a complete record of all laboratory confirmed cases.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish an independent inquiry into the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital, with the report of the inquiry being made public.

Nicola Sturgeon: I announced to the Parliament on 18 June 2008 that an independent review would be held. The report of the review team will be made public.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what incidences of clostridium difficile there have been in each hospital in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, broken down by (a) numbers infected and (b) subsequent fatalities caused in whole or part by clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital in each month in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the number of clostridium difficile cases is currently reported quarterly by Health Protection Scotland and broken down by NHS board. Scottish Government officials have, however, written to all NHS boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to ask them to provide a report on the number of clostridium difficile cases for each acute hospital within their area, providing data at hospital level, for the period December 2007 to May 2008.

  We have asked that the information includes all cases diagnosed from admission onwards and for a commentary on interpretation of the data presented, whether any clusters were identified, and what actions were taken in response to any apparent excess of cases or deaths over this period.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned about the percentage mortality rate in relation to the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The apparent high mortality rate amongst clostridium difficile patients at the Vale of Leven Hospital is a deep cause of concern, and is why I announced on 18 June 2008 that an independent review into the circumstances surrounding this excess of cases would be held.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being put in place to tackle clostridium difficile in hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: The principal interventions effective against clostridium difficile (C.diff) in our hospitals are rapid diagnosis and isolation of patients; prudent prescribing of antibiotics; environmental cleaning; and rigorous hand hygiene procedures.

  Mandatory national reporting of C.diff cases by laboratories was established in 2006, and the national C.diff reference laboratory for Scotland was established in 2008, which is a source of expert advice as well as providing information on typing of strains such as the hyper-virulent O27 strain. A national policy on provision of single rooms in new hospitals is also under development.

  Prudent prescribing guidance was issued to NHS boards in 2005 by the HAI Task Force, and this was followed up by the launch in March 2008 of the Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan. The action plan has already resulted in the funding and establishment of the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group, which will oversee national surveillance of resistance and antibiotic use, and drive improvements in prescribing practice.

  The Scottish Government’s HAI Task Force issued the national cleaning services specification in 2004, and the related monitoring system has shown continuing improvements in hospital cleaning standards across Scotland ever since. Monitoring of compliance with hand hygiene has also shown good improvements, with all NHS boards making good progress towards achieving our target of 90% hand hygiene compliance by staff by November 2008. This is supported by our ongoing national hand hygiene campaign.

  Health Protection Scotland have also issued a model policy document on transmission based precautions, advice on management of C.diff O27, and a "care bundle" of five essential elements of care for all C.diff patients. An overarching new Scottish guidance document on C.diff is currently under preparation by HPS.

  The independent review of Vale of Leven cases announced by me on 18 June 2008 will examine any failings there may have been in following these procedures.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the incidences of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital occurred in patients transferred from other hospitals and, if so, how many patients were involved and from which hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised that seven of the 55 patients confirmed as having clostridium difficile were originally transferred from the Royal Alexandra Hospital, between 28 December 2007 and 25 March 2008, to the Vale of Leven Hospital. It cannot be confirmed, however, if these patients contracted clostridium difficile before being admitted or whether they contracted the infection after arrival at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Ministerial Costs

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10407 by John Swinney on 11 March 2008, when the Cabinet Secretary will write to me and whether the information on overnight stays by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will be published.

John Swinney: I refer the Member to the letter sent on 26 June 2008, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45493).

Ministerial Costs

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what overnight stays in hotels have been charged for by ministers since May 2007 and at what total cost.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

John Swinney: There have been 184 overnight stays in hotels charged for by ministers since May 2007 at a total cost of £22,185.11.

Ministerial Costs

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many overnight stays in hotels have been charged for by the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism since May 2007 and what the total cost of those stays was.

John Swinney: The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism has had 30 overnight hotel stays between May 2007 and March 2008 at a total cost of £2,342.31

Ministerial Costs

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10409 by John Swinney on 11 March 2008, when the Cabinet Secretary will write to me and whether the information on overnight hotel stays by the Minister for Parliamentary Business will be published.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the letter sent on 26 June 2008, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45495).

Parliamentary Questions

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-10411 which received a holding answer on 11 March 2008.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10411 on 27 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Respite Care

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional respite weeks have been made available since May 2007, broken down by local authority area

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional respite weeks for (a) adults and (b) children have been made available since May 2007.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14067 on 19 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Skye Bridge

Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Lord Advocate will reply to my letter of 25 March 2008 about Skye Bridge convictions.

Right Hon Elish Angiolini QC: The letter was answered on 27 June 2008.

Teachers

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13230 by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2008, whether the two hours of quality PE per week will be delivered by specialist PE teachers.

Maureen Watt: Every primary teacher is trained to cover the whole curriculum including PE. We are also committed to increasing the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of primary teachers in the field of PE by continuing support for the PGCE in PE run by Glasgow and Edinburgh universities. Already around 600 primary teachers have enrolled on this course. We will provide funding of £1.8 million over the next three years for this course and related CPD activities in PE for primary teachers. In secondary schools there are 1,756 qualified PE teachers which makes it the fifth largest subject in terms of teacher numbers.

  The deployment of teachers is a matter for local authorities as they are responsible for the delivery of education services at a local level and therefore best placed to know what is needed to meet desired educational outcomes.